Factories bring jobs for villagers to their doorstep

Three years ago, Abdurrahman Abdulla took a risk by putting 25,000 yuan ($3,500) - almost his entire life savings - into a brick and tile factory he started in partnership with six fellow villagers in Yecheng, a border county in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The farmer made the decision after working for years as a casual laborer in similar factories that prospered in cities in northern Xinjiang, where rapid urbanization created a huge demand for construction materials.

Abdurrahman wanted to copy the success back home but was unsure if it would work in the more underdeveloped south, even though the government offered him land for next to nothing. To bring his partners onboard, he promised to make up for their losses if the factory failed. They agreed to invest 25,000 yuan between them.